Do colleges really check the Facebook pages of applicants? Yes.

If you know someone applying for college, they may have some social scrubbing to do first...

According to a survey by Kaplan Test Prep, 24% of college admissions officers say they check applicants’ Facebook pages and other social media and that number is on the rise. Some also admit to Googling applicants’ names. Here are a few steps to take to ensure you’re making the right impression out there:

• Remove any photos online that show you doing anything stupid, offensive or illegal.

• Check over your profile, favorite links and pages you’ve “liked.” Your priorities may have changed since you joined.

• Un-tag yourself. It’s worth taking the time to check out where you’ve been tagged. It’s easy to miss or forget about some less-than-flattering pictures your friends may have posted.

• Google yourself. If you find anything false or unflattering that you can’t remove yourself – contact the owner of that profile or website and ask that it be removed.

It’s important to remember that even if you have iron-clad privacy settings on your profiles, others may not. It’s up to you to protect your reputation and online presence. Some high school guidance counselors will even suggest you scrub, lockdown or delete your online identity during admissions season, especially Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr.